Tailor&#39;s trouser length and trouser cuff marker



Sept- 10, 1968 I J. J. SULLIVAN 3,400,460

TAILOR'S TROUSER LENGTH AND TROUSER' CUFF MARKER Filed Sept. 16, 1965 Fig if 3] MXL- n66 95 I a INVENTOR,

John J. Sulllvcm AGENT United States Patent O 3,400,460 TAILORS TROUSER LENGTH AND TROUSER CUFF MARKER John J. Sullivan, 3920 Granby St.,

Norfolk, Va. 23504 Filed Sept. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 487,812 9 Claims. (Cl. 33-2) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tailors trouser-length and cuff marker comprising a base having indicia related to trouser lengths and cuffs, and a device for positioning the trousers thereon in relation thereto. Spaced above the base and trou-sers is a two-part guide, one part of which mounts to the base. The other part has a straight edge to guide a marking instrument. The parts are adjustably connected yto enable the straight edge to be variously positioned, for effecting different markings on the trousers.

This invention relates lto the marking of trousers, and more particularly to marking the leg lengths for the purpose of forming cuffs, bottom seams and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved trouser length and trouser cuff marker which simplifies and makes easier the marking of mens and boys trousers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inrproved marker device as above set forth, which enables the correct trouser marking -to be effected more quickly, both when the trousers are being worn for the purpose of measurement and after the trousers have been removed and are on the cutting table.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved trouser leg marker device as characterized, which` is more accurate and which eliminates mistakes such as those which occurred in the past when using other methods.

A feature of the invention resides in lthe provision of an improved trouser length marking device which utilizes a measuring system (partly used when the trousers are being worn for tting) which enables even saleswomen to effect the necessary measurements without embarrassment.

Another object of the invention is to provide an irnproved trouser leg marking device which enables different styles, lengths and break of the trouser leg to be readily, accurately chosen. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved marking device in accordance with the foregoing, wherein there is eliminated mistake, error and misunderstanding which, in the past, has required the customer to return for further alterations.

Yet another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a trouser leg marker as characterized, which eliminates the chance of error due in lthe past to measuring and marking a length in units of measurement such as inches.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

Y In the drawings accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference are used to designate like components throughout the several Views, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan View of a tailors trouser length and trouser cuff marker deviceas provided by the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an anchorage means 'or plug for use with the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a trouser leg being 3,400,460 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 worn for fitting, illustrating the method of marking the back crease of the trouser leg.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a stapling type rule which may be used in place of the rule shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic View, illustrating the use of the -stapling rule as distinguished from the chalk mark rule of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, the trouser length and trouser cuff marker comprises a generally flat base 10 on which there is located means 12 providing consecutively disposed indicia arranged to signify different trouser lengths. The indicia 12 comprise a plurality of locating devices, shown as holes 14 disposed in a row and associated respectively with lines 16 the rst five of which are numbered 1-5 as shown. The row of numbers 1-5 is also associated with an arrow, pointing to the word cuffs Also, lines 4 and 5 and the succeeding three lines are associated with a row of letters A, B, C, D and E, (indicate at 18) such letters being associated with an arrow pointing to the expression no cuffs.

Preferably, as shown, the row of holes 14 is arranged to be parallel to the upper and lower edges 20, 22 of the base, and to be perpendicular to the side edges 24, 26.

Preferably also the -base 10 is provided with a chart designated generally by the numeral 28, having three pictures showing respectively long trouser lengths, medium trouser lengths and short trouser lengths, said pictures being also respectively associated with the designations 3, C; 4, D; and 5, E (the numbers being indicated as representing cuffs and the letters indicated as representing no cuffs).

On the base 10 there is provided a marker guide device which is shown as in the form of an H-shaped structure, said device having an elongated guiding edge 30 along which -a marking tool such as a chalk, soap marker or the like may be drawn. l

Means are provided, mounting the said guide device on the base to extend over the latter in unimpeded, spaced relation thereto, thereby to enable a pair of superposed trouser legs to be laid flat on the base and under the said marker guide device. The superposed trouser legs are indicated by a drawn outline, designated generally by the numeral 32.

The mounting means, in the illustrated embodiment of the linvention, comprises a hinge connection 34 joining one side piece or member 36 of the H-shaped structure to the base 10. The H-shaped structure includes another side piece 38 which has the guiding edge 30, and includes an extendable connection or yoke construction 40 having slidably fitting members 42 and 44 respectively connected to the side pieces 36 and 38.

The member 42 has a pin or rivet 46 which is slidably contained in a slot 48 of the member 44, thereby to limit the relative longitudinal movements of the members 42, 44. Also, the member 44 has a manually operable pivotally mounted latching piece 50 carried on an upstanding end ange 52, said latching piece being receivable in notches 54 provided on a flange 56 of the piece 42. The piece 42 also has an angle-shaped end stop 58 engageable with the flange 52 of the piece 44 to limit relative movement of the pieces in one direction.

It will be understood that by the above construction, the H-shaped structure may be made either wider or narrower as effected by relative sliding movement of the interfitting pieces 42, 44, and the releasable lock 50 when received in any of the notches 54 will lock the H-shaped member in a given adjusted position.

The side pieces 36, 38 of the H-shaped structure have markings or graduations 62, 64, and may have associated edge notches 66, 68 constituting indicia to which the center seam 70 of the trouser legs may be referred. By lining up the center seam 70 with corresponding graduations or notches of the sets, the trousers legs will be maintained in substantially parallel relation with the upper and lower edges 20 and 22 of the base, thereby to render more accurate the transverse markings on the legs which are made when drawing the marking tool along the guiding edge 30.

For reception in any one of the holes 14 there is provided a plug 74 shown in FIG. 2, having a side notch 76 and a sharp pin 78, the said pin being engageable with the trousers to temporarily anchor marked portions of the legs to the plug. The plug 74 may be placed in any of the holes 14, and by anchoring a marked portion of the trouser leg to the plug, the trousers will be adjustably positioned with respect to the marking edge 30.

It will now be seen that the different holes 14 can represent different cuff markings and different cut-off markings which may be made on the trouser leg, utilizing the guiding edge 30.

The hinge connection 34 enables the H-shaped member to be swung upward and away from the base 10, thereby to enable the trousers 32 to be easily connected with the pin-carrying plug 74 and properly positioned on the base. When this is done, the H-shaped structure is swung downward so as to overlie the base and the trousers, as shown in FIG. l.

To prevent possible relative edgewise movement of the H-shaped member, the side piece 36 is preferably provided with a hole 80 to receive a pin 82 carried by the base 10. Thus, two points of connection are provided between the base and the H-shaped member, preventing looseness or maladjustment.

The marking of a pair of trousers is done as follows: Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, when the trousers are being worn for fitting, the tailor or sales person utilizes a rule 84 and places a mark 86 on the trousers with a chalk resting on the top of the rule. Or, as seen in FIG. 5, a metal staple may be attached to the 'back crease of the trousers, using the stapling rule 88 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The stapling rule comprises an elongate measuring stick 90 to the top end of which a conventional stapler 92 is fastened.

In either circumstance, the back crease of the trousers is marked at a point which is a fixed distance about the floor.

The trousers are now removed (after each leg has been individually marked in the above manner) and placed on the base 10 with the waist portion to the left of the base. The two marks at the back seams of the legs are brought together and these portions of the trouser legs are impaled on the anchor pin 78.

The customer selects the desired trouser leg length from a chart, similar to that shown on the upper portion of the base 10. If the trousers are to have cuffs, styles either 3, 4 or 5 are selected; if the trousers are to have no cuffs, styles C, O or E are selected. The anchor pin 74 is now put in the proper hole 14 of the base, corresponding to the selected number or letter representing the style and leg length ofthe trousers.

The H-shaped structure is now swung downward over the base 10 and the trousers 32, and the trouser legs are smoothed out and the side seam aligned with the nearest corresponding pair of indicia 62, 64 or notches 66, 68. This will square up the trousers with respect to the base and the H shaped frame, and particularly With respect to the guiding edge 30.

The H-shaped frame is adjusted so that the locking piece 58 is in one of the notches 54, representing either a 1% inch cuff, a 11/2 inch cuff or a 1% inch cuff. Now a chalk mark is drawn on the top trouser leg along the guiding edge 30. The free material of both trouser legs is now folded up and to the left, over the side member 38, and a chalk mark is made on thel underside of the bottom trouser leg. This bottom trouser leg is now brought back to the original position, and chalk marks are made on the inner side of the 'two trouser legs, all such marks being guided and determined by the guiding edge 30 of the H-shaped frame.

The frame is now extended or widened, by releasing the lock and shifting the right side piece '38 to the right until the locking piece 50 reaches and rests in the rightmost notch 54. This determines the cut-off point at which the trouser legs are to be cut to remove the excess, unwanted material.

Another set of chalk lines is now drawn on the trouser legs in the manner already described above, and the surplus material is cut off along this second set of lines, leaning enough material for a fold under the sewing edge.

The first set of chalk lines represents the basic folding lines, constituting the top fold of the cuff. After folding along this first set of lines, the trouser material is sewed, and then the cuff is formed by folding up either 1% inches, 11/2 inches or 1% inches as desired by the customer and in accordance with the first setting of the releasable locking means 50.

Where the trousers are to have no cuffs, the plug 74 is placed in the lettered holes instead of in the numbered holes. Following the marking procedure outlined above, the first set of lines will represent the finished length of the pants leg. With the H-frame extended or widened, the second set of lines effected with such adjustment represents the cut-olf point, at which the surplus material is removed. After cut-off, the trousers are folded under on the first set of lines and sewed. This completes the trouser bottoms, where no cuffs are to be provided.

The right side piece 38 of the H-shaped frame may have a width of 11/4 inches, or 11/2 inches or 1% inches, and in such event the frame member will be useful in folding the trouser bottoms to provide the desired cutoff width. Under some circumstances it might 'be desirable to utilize the inner edge 96 of the member 38 as a marking guide, when forming the fold for the cuff, where the member 38 has the exact width of the cuff desired.

It will now be understood from the foregoing that I have provided a novel and improved trouser length and trouser cuff marker device which greatly facilitates the cutting and finishing of the trouser legs. The method involved is easy to employ, and all of the operations may be readily performed by a saleswoman without danger of embarrassment, which was not true of methods heretofore employed. No likelihood of error is involved since no actual length measurements (as for example in inches) are utilized in effecting the markings. The marking device is simple and economical to fabricate, understand and use.

Variations and modifications may be used and portions of the improvement may ibe used without others.

I claim:

1. A tailors trouser-length and trouser-cuff marker comprising, in combination:

(a) a generally at `base,

(b) means providing consecutively disposed indicia on said base, to signify different trouser lengths, Y

(c) a marker guide device having an elongate guiding edge along which a marking tool may be drawn,

(d) means mounting said guide device on the base to extend over the latter in unimpeded spaced relation thereto, thereby to enable a pair of superposed trouser legs to be laid fiat on the Abase and under 'said marker guide device,

(e) the direction in which the indicia extends being generally at right angles to said guiding edge of the marker guide device,

(f) said indicia being disposed to extend along one creased edge ofthetrousers for cooperation therewith when the guiding edge of the marker guide device islo'cated across the lower end portions of lthe trousers in readiness to effect a first marking thereof, f

(g) said guide device including adjustable means enabling theguiding edge thereof to be shifted so `as to guidema markingv tool transversely across the trousers at a point spaced from the first marking area, for the purpose of effecting a second marking of the trousers, spaced from the first marking,

(h) said m'ker guide device comprising a guide mem- :ber and a mounting piece, said mounting means comprising a hinge, said mounting piece having an elongated-portion connected by said hinge to said lbase, saidkjmounting piece also having a connecting portion extending over said base, substantially perpendicularly from said elongated portion, said guide memberhaving an elongated portion slidably mounted oir and in alignment with said connecting portion for adjustable positioning thereon, said guide member also having a guiding piece connected to and extending,Substantially perpendicularly to the elongated portion of said guide member,

(i) said guiding piece having said guiding edge.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said elongated portion of said mounting piece, and said guiding piece have sets of aligned indicia adapted for referral, to a seam of the trousers to line up the latter with respect to said guiding edge.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said hinge enables the marker guide device to be lifted away from the base for placement of the trousers on the base.

4. A tailorsl trouser-length and trousercuff marker comprising, in combination:

(a) a general-ly at base,

(b)means providing consecutively disposed indicia on said base, to signify different trouser lengths,

(c) a marker guide device having an elongateguiding edge along which a marking tool may be drawn,

(d) means mounting said guide device on the base to extend over the latter in unimpeded spaced relation thereto, thereby to enable a pair of superposed trouser legs to 'be -laid at on the base and under said marker guide device,

(e) the direction in which the indicia extends being generally at right angles to said guiding edge of the marker guide device,

(f) said indicia being disposed to extend along one creased edge of the trousers for cooperation therewith whenl the guiding edge of the marker guide device is located 'across the lower end portions of the trousers in readiness to effect a first marking thereof,

(g) said guide device including adjustable means enabling the guiding edge thereof to be shifted 'so as to guide a marking tool transversely across the trousers at a point spaced from the first marking area, for the purpose of effecting a second marking of the trousers, spaced fromV the first marking, Y

(h) said marker guide device comprising a guide member and a mounting piece,

(i) 'said guide member having said guiding-edge,

(j) said mounting means joining the mounting piece to a single portion of the base,

(k) said adjustable means comprising a device which slidably mounts the guide member on the mounting -piece for adjustable positioning thereon,

(l) said mounting means comprising a hinge connection between the base and mounting piece, enabling the latter to 'be lifted away from the base for placement of the trousers on the base,

(m) means cooperating with said hinge connection and comprising a pin-and-slot connection lbetween the base and mounting piece, for preventing edgewise movement of the latter when in closely juxtaposed superposed position on the base. 5. lA tallors trouser-length and trouser-cuff marker comprising, in combination:

(a) a generally at base,

(b) means providing consecutively disposed indicia on said "base, to signify different trouser lengths, (c) a marker guide device having an elongate guiding edge along which a marker tool may be drawn,

(d) means mounting said guide device on the lbase to extend over the latter in unimpeded spaced relation thereto, therebyf to enable a pair of superposed trouser legs to be laid flat on the base and under said marker guide device.

(e) the direction* in which the indicia extends being generally at right angles to said guiding edge of the marker guide device,

(f) said indicia 'being disposed to extend along one creased edge of the trousers for cooperation therewith when the guiding edge of the marker guide device is located 'across the lower end portions of the trousers in readiness to effect a first marking thereof,

(g) said guide device including adjustable means enabling the guiding edge thereof to be shifted so as to guide a marking tool transversely across the trousers at a point spaced from the first marking area, for the purpose of effecting a Second marking of the trousers, spaced from the first marking,

(h) said marker guide device comprising a guide member and a mounting piece,

(i) said guide member having said guiding edge,

(j) said mounting means joining the mounting piece to a single portion of the base,

(k) said adjustable means comprising a device which slidably mounts the guide member on the mounting piece for adjustable positioning thereon,

(l) said marker guide device comprising an H-shaped structure,

(m) one side of said H-shaped structure constituting the guide member and having the said guiding edge,

(n) the other side of the H-shaped structure comprising said mounting piece,

(o) said mounting means being connected to the 'said other side of the H-shaped structure and to said base.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5, whereinz'y (a) said mounting means comprises a hinge enabling the H-shaped structure to `be swung upward and away from the base.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein:

(a) a re-leasable lock is provided, to releasably lock the guide member in different positions on the mounting piece.

8. A tailors trouser-length and trouser-cuff marker comprising, in combination:

(a) a generally flat base,

(b) means providing consecutively disposed indicia on said base, to signify different trouser lengths,

(c) a marker guide device having an elongate guiding edge along which a marking tool may be drawn,

(d) means mounting said guide device on the base to extend over the latter in unimpeded spaced relation thereto, thereby to enable a pair of superposed trousers legs to be laid fiat on the base and under said marker guide device,

(e) the direction in which the indicia extends being generally at right angles to said guiding edge of the marker guide device,

(f) said indicia being disposed to extend along one creased edge of the trousers when the guiding edge of the marker guide device is located across the lower end portions of the trousers in readiness to effect a first marking thereof,

(g) said guide device including structural means enabling it to guide a-marking tool transversely across the trousers at a point spaced from the first marking area, for the purpose of effecting a second marking of the trousers, spaced from the rst marking,

(h) said means which provides indicia comprising a plurality of sockets in the base,

(i) a plug insertable in any of said sockets,

(j) means on said plug, engageable with the trousers to temporarily anchor marked portions of the latter t0 the plug.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8, wherein:

(a) said means to temporarily anchor marked portions of the trousers comprises a sharp pin carried by the plug.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 0 LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

LLOYD V. ANDERSON, Assistant Examiner. 

